This guy was in hardcore nest protection mode, doing everything he could to attract my attention from the high pitched squeaks coming from the bushes. Well, since he wouldn't get much more than about 15 feet away from me, it offered an ideal opportunity to get some great closeup shots!

Wonderful portrait - great detail. Was the shot handheld ?

It was shot on a tripod. I was sitting on the ground, with the lens mounted on a Jobu Pro 2 gimbal and Gitzo GT3532LS tripod.

Worked on getting some BIF shots last weekend, my old fingers are not as fast as they used to be and this guy is really fast. I was trying to catch him as he flared to return to his post but only managed a couple half decent captures. Maybe this weekend will be better.